Automobile lamp



Sept. 30

c. RE INKER AUTOMOBILE LAMP Filed March 27,

46 Gwen 7'14 FEW/{ER I Patented Sept. 30,1924.

- i STATES:

CHRISTIAN REINKEB,

OF LAKEWOOD, OI-IIO.

AUTOMOBILE LAMI'.

Application filed March 27, 1922. Serial No. 547,172.

To all whom it may concern: 7 7

Be. it known that I, CHRISTIAN REINKER,

h a citizen of the Unitedstates, residing at Lakewood, the county of Cuyahoga and State. of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Lamps, of which the following is aspeci lication. I

This invention relates to automobile lamps and has for an objectto utilize a portion of the light from the headlight or any other lamp on the automobile which would other Wise-be wasted to illuminate the sides of the automobile at the rear of the headlight or driver are not subjected to the glare. A

further object is to provide adjustable light reflecting means whereby the. r'earwardly the side of thecar'.

radiated light can be'directed at different angles either to -.illu1nine the mechanism 7 within the hood or to direct the light along Other objects will be apparent from the following description in connection with the annexed drawings;

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the front 7 portion of an automobile having. the. im-

proved headlights thereon." Fig. 2 is a'front elevation of the'headlight. Fig. 3 is a vertical axial section through the headlight. Fig. dis a detail sectional'view of the lamp socket supporting clip. Fig. 5' is a view in perspective of the lamp shield.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a modified form of lamp support. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section showing still another modification of the lamp support. Fig.8 is a perspective View of a modified form of light deflector. Fig.

9 is a sectional View, enlarged, of a detail.

involving the union of the light tube and deflector with the rear end of the lamp body.

lieferring to the annexed drawing, the lamp or head-light consists of an outer housing 1 having an open front, a parabolicrefiector 2 within the housing 1 having its front edge portion formed to provide a'seat for the lens. 3 fittingwithinathe outer edge of the housing 1, andan annular retaining band 1 for securing the lens .3 against the o-uter'edge of the reflector 2. In small lamp, the reflector 2 may be omitted but where present itis provided with an axial circular aperture 5 and the housing 1, has a flanged aperture 6 of slightly greater diameter. A cylindrical tube or. casing 7 fits within the aperture 6 of the housing 1 and has its forward edge in engagement with the reflector "2 around theapertu're 5 therein. The inner mumhousing 1 at the edge of the aperture 6 maybe engaged by spring clips 8 formed by striking up andbending integralztongue portions outwardly from the wall of the tubeor casing .7, which mayhave its outer end project beyond the rear of the housing 1 re support a lens 9. secured therein in any suitable way. An. arcuate shield or light reflector 10; having an inner reflecting surface is rotatably mountediupon the flanged portion of housing. 1 and the beaded end of tube 7, see Fig. 9, and this shield or de flector 10 may have springclamping portion '10 as shown in Fig.8, or it may be constructed many other way adapted to permit it to be rotated and to be attached and detached. 1 i

fA supporting guard plate 11 is mounted within reflector 2 opposite rear opening 5, and this plate has a longitudinal slot 12 in its central'portion in which adjustably secured a bolt 13 fromwhich is suspended a spring cliplt made from a strip of resilient sheet-metal bent to; U-shape' toprovide depending arms 15 having curved low'erends 16 adapted to form spring gripping awsfor holding the roundibase end of an electric the arms 15 above the jaws 16is a block 22 of insulating'material secured "by a bolt 23, see Fig. 1. The block 22 has a contact strip 24' secured to its front face by a screw 25, see Fig. 3, which serves as-a binding post for a wire conductor 26. The lower end of contact strip 24 engages a central contact 27 at the rear end of the base of electric lamp 17 and a tube 28forms a conduit for the conductor 26 at the top of the shield or suplamp 17.. Th-e jaws16 haveLFslots18 therein adapted to receive diametrically opposed lugs 20* on the lamp base and located between llO porting plate 11. Current is supplied to lamp 17 through the conductor 26, strip 24 and contact 27 and a ground connection is i proper focal point of reflector 2. In some headlights the upper portion 30 of the lens 3 is rendered opaque to lessen the glare of the headlight, and where thisopaque portion 30 extends below the center of the lens: the support 11-, holder 14 and lamp 1"? are concealed. In such cases that portion or" the light which is cut off from the front by opaque portion is radiated partly directly through the rear lens 9 from lamp 17 and utilized without materially impairing the strength of the'beam of light projected forwardly through the lower half of the lens Vhen the rear reflector 10 is positioned at the top side of the rear lens 9 as shown in Fig. 3 the light rays issuing from lamp 17 are directed downwardly upon the running board and rearwardly alongside the car. When it isdesired to inspect the mechanism or engine within the hood one or both of the reflectors can be turned to direct the light toward the hood and engine as shown in Fig. 1. The light shed through the rear of lamp body 1 also lessens glare effects at the front. In Fig. (3 is shown a modified form of lamp-support in which a tube 31 is secured at its rear end to reflector 2 above aperture 5. A lamp holder 32 similarto clip 14 is clamped to the tube 31 andisadjustable longitudinally thereon; A block of insulating material 33 is secured to holder 32, and a pair of contact strips 85 and 36 are mounted on block 33 and connected to wires 37 and 38 which are adapted to pass rearwardly through the tube 31. The strips and 36 engage separate end contacts 39 and 40 on the base of the lamp or bulb 41, which is a different type than lamp 17; In Fig. 7 I show still another form of lamp support comprising an angle bracket 42 secured to the reflector 2 and a lamp holder 43 of U-shape slotted and ,slidably connected holder in adjusted position.

at its upper end to the bracket 42'and having a transverse screw 45 for clamping the A pair of spring j aws' 46' similar to jaws 16 of holder 14 extend downwardly from the sides of holder 48, and between the sides 44 is secured an insulating block 47 to which is connected at contact strip 48 held in place on the block 47 and connected with a wire 49 by a screw 50. The lamp 51 has an end contact 52 engaging strip 48, and a ground connection is made through the holder 43, bracket 42, and reflector 2. The lamp is projected rearwardly in each of the forms of mountings described, which is contrary to the customary practice, but of especial utility in a lamp where a portion of the light is transmitted through a smaller lens at the rear end of a body or housing 1 for the reasons and purposes herein described.

1. A headlight for automobiles, comprising a parabolic reflector; a lens at the front of said reflector having an opaque upper portion extending below the center thereof; an arcuate shield secured" to said reflector above the axis thereof and extending for wardly; a lamp holder suspended from the outer end of said shield adj acent' said lens; and alamp in said holder facing the rear of said reflector, said reflector haying a light transmitting opening and a lens at its rear opposite said lamp.

V 2. din automobile lamp, comprising a housing having an open front; a parabolic reflector fixedly mounted within said housing, a lens covering the open front of said housing; a relatively small lens mounted in the rear wall of said housing; and a rearwardly extending electric lamp bulb pointing toward said reflector, depending from said reflector and within. the same and between said front and rear lenses inaxial alinement with said rear lens and adapted to transmit light upon said reflector and through both said openings, said light adapted to be adjusted toward or away from said fixed reflector.

In testimony whereof I aflix. my signature to this specification.

CHRISTIAN REIN KER. 

